Because the world really needed another blog dedicated to the Portland Trail Blazers. We're a group of journalists and fans who've grown up with--or have grown to love--Oregon's only professional franchise (and this won't change when MLS comes to town). Plus we're convinced that--if given the chance--we could totally hit the Toyota halfcourt shot. Until then, we're stuck here in the Portland Roundball Society.
- Coach McMillan is on the mend. After injuring his achilles tendon in December, Nate was walking without a boot for the first time.
- Although Brandon Roy will not play in the All Star game, NBA policy dictates that he must attend the weekend of festivities. It seems a bit counter-intuititve when the Blazer star is hoping to rest his balky hamstring (he’s shut down ALL basketball-related activities). Although it’s not the best prescription, Roy said he is still excited to travel to Dallas and spend some time with guys like Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and even his former teammate Zach Randolph.
- The media has been lobbying for Nic Batum’s return to the starting lineup ever since that first game he played since returning from shoulder surgery. It seems as if their wish may finally come true. Coach McMillan wouldn’t say concretely, but he did offer a few hints, admitting that he considered starting Batum Saturday against the Lakers. Not exactly Smooth Jimmy’s Lock of the Week, but it certainly could happen.
- During practice Travis Outlaw was wanting to go harder but was held back a bit. After the media were let in, Travis was working up quite a sweat, going heavy full court one-on-one with coach Monty Williams. Travis said he feels fine, and now it’s just a matter of working his endurance back into shape. He’s still shooting for a return one week after the All Star break.
- Los Angeles Clipper Chris Kaman was selected as an All Star alternate to play in Brandon Roy’s place. Talk about a downgrade…
- And just in case you missed it, here’s some video from a Laker celebration at the Rose Garden Saturday that’s become a pretty testy exchange in the youtube.com comments:
• That’s really all I’m going to link to regarding the loss to the Lakers. There really isn’t much to glean from the game; the world champions came into town and finally managed to pull off a victory over a team with no center, no All Star, and only one player 6’10” or over (The Lakers, on the otherhand, have four players 6’10” or taller, three of them being seven footers). Portland could not pull off the improbable upset that they had pulled off so many times before. Nine straight victories over the Lakers in the Rose Garden, that’s amazing. That streak tells me that the Blazers get up to play the Lakers when they come to Portland, the loss tells me that eventually, injuries mount up and the energy of a raucous crowd can only carry a team so far. Don’t hang your heads, Rip City, we were all fortunate to witness such inspired basketball for nine straight games. Now, lets look forward to starting another streak.
“To see him get 50 (points)? I think a lot of people were really surprised. I think everybody was pretty surprised that Andre Miller scored 50 points. I can’t honestly say I saw that coming.”
• Tom Haberstroh dropped a bomb onto the world of basketball statistics with this motion chart. Does this chart make any major breakthroughs about the value of a possession or how much an individual player contributes? No, not really. What this chart does, is it makes the data come alive; it helps tell the story behind the numbers. You can set one axis as PER and the other as Time, then watch the ebb and flow of a player’s career. You can select blocks and defensive rating to try and isolate what players are likely to be good help defenders. Not only that, but you can view players in the context of their peers and who plays similar to them. Try the blocks and defensive rating combo and then press play and you will see the rise and decline of Shaq, Ben Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Theo Ratliff. Or set the axis to blocks/steals to watch how do-it-all defenders rise and then fade back to the clustered masses, or, because I’m having fun with the defensive stats, run one axis as PER and the other as defensive rating and watch the wheat separate from the proverbial chaff. Here is the lighter version of the same chart with Kobe vs LeBron pre-loaded.
If the subject of a post has a question mark in it, that probably means it’s just another daily dose of trade speculation. This includes a Portland mention in this Caron Butler column from David “I’m not as soft as LaMarus” Aldridge over at NBA.com:
(Don’t discount Portland, either. While much has been made of the Blazers’ pursuit of Washington center Brendan Haywood, the Blazers have just as much, if not more, interest in Butler, and are willing to put $3 milliion in cash toward a deal — which certainly interests the Wizards. But Portland’s refusal to put any of its young players other than Martell Webster in any potential deal puts it on the outside looking in. As has been reported, the Wizards want either Nicholas Batum — no chance — or Rudy Fernandez — not likely, as he is a favorite of many inside the Blazers’ braintrust. The Lakers would also love to repatriate Butler with Kobe Bryant, who would love to have him. But L.A. doesn’t have the expiring contract/young player assets necessary to get seriously involved.)
Interesting. I suspect I might be alone in liking Butler’s game more than most Blazer fans probably do, but is he worth the young talent? Since the Jermaine O’Neal trade, Portland has been very reluctant to trade any young players, for fear that their shift from potential to talent will eventually come back to hurt the franchise. But it’s clear that something needs to get done this Portland team (currently in 4th place in the Northwest Division) to keep their head above the playoff waters.
Should the Blazers keep browsing? (Since last time I checked Butler doesn’t play center and won’t solve that problem.) Or should they make a move? Who would you swap for Butler?
They couldn’t beat L.A., so Blazer fans decided instead to beat the traffic. Down a seemingly insurmountable 18 points with 3:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Blazer contingent of the lower bowl started streaking towards the exits. The torrent of bodies was as cold and swift as the Columbia. A minute and a half later, parts of the 300 level were begining to empty out—a sight almost as rare as a Laker win in Portland. But fans can be forgiven, I suppose, for wanting to avoid scenes like this one.
Saturday’s 99-82 loss was the first time in 10 games that the Lakers left the Rose Garden with their heads high. Futhermore, it was L.A.’s biggest margin of victory in Portland since the nearly identical score on January 3rd 1988. That game was played at Memorial Coliseum.
Even stranger, the Lakers ended the streak without Kobe Bryant. And I can’t help but wonder if all Portland’s collective hatred of the Black Mamba as a galvanizing force left some kind of emotional void on the court at the Rose Garden—it certainly did in the air.
After Roy’s press conference came the news that Bryant too would sit out. It came as a shock to many members of the media, not to mention the throngs of Laker fans salivating in their #24 jersey. And while Bryant’s absence seemed to up the Blazers’ chances, it didn’t make for a compelling matchup. Indeed tonight’s buzz was nowhere near it’s usual Laker-visit pandemonium.
Blazer fans, however, may take some consolation that Bryant’s streak of nine-straight Rose Garden defeats remains alive and well. But for most, Saturday night was still a heavy blow to take. I asked Nate McMillan where this loss stacked up against the most difficult of the season and he snapped at me a little in response:
The Blazers were outplayed across the board. Statistically speaking, the only categories they bested the Lakers were in free throws attempted (19 to 15) and free throw percentage.
L.A. dominated most thoroughly was on the glass. The Lakers out-rebounded Portland 47-30 overall, and a nauseating 12 to two on the offensive end which helped the visitors take 13 more shots than the home team.
Lamar Odom led L.A. with 22 boards—more than the combined total of Portland’s starting lineup (together they had 20). Odom began the night matched up against Andre Miller and immediately started posting up the substantially smaller guard. I asked Odom if he felt a big night coming on when he looked the potential matchups beforehand:
As Odom said, the Lakers have the ability to go big or small. And when a player who’s 6’10” can play everything from point guard to center, the injury ravaged Trail Blazers are often going to find themselves at a dissadvantage.
While he isn’t versatile like Odom, Pau Gasol also gives the Lakers freedom to strech. Equal parts finesse and power, the seven foot tall Spaniard is a good enough passer where he doesn’t necessarily need to be in the key to thrive. Gasol, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, talked about finally getting a win in the Rose Garden, and how the sitting of Kobe Bryand and Brandon Roy cancel each other out somewhat. He also noted that the Blazers were startlingly thin inside:
The only Blazer players whose performances were any better than just mediocre were Andre Miller and Juwan Howard, even if their nights felt mostly quiet. Miller hit five of eight attempts, and finished with 14 points and six assists. Howard hit five of seven shots for 10, and grabbed seven boards. The rest of the cast didn’t give the veterans much help.
Sure, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 16 points, but it took him just as many shots. Martell Webster and Steve Blake were atrocious. Webster was one of seven for two points, while Blake had a similar line—one for five, three points. In the locker room afterwards, a sullen Webster took responsibility for his poor performance:
Despite Webster’s admission, this wasn’t a loss to be hung on a single player or players—the entire team got worked by the Bryant-less Lakers.
When the Blazers succeed as of late, it’s usually because a player or two finds a hot hand that inspires the rest of the team to lay out. But against the Lakers Saturday night that leader never appeared. And while credit must go to the opposing defense, tonight’s failure was more than systematic. On too many possessions the Blazers looked aimless on offensive. No one seemed to want to be The Man. But with at least two more games before Brandon Roy returns, the Blazers need someone with ego enough to try.
Before tonight's game Brandon Roy took questions from the media. As a result of his strained hamstring, Roy will sit out until after the All Star break. Before I could get video rolling Roy said the injury bothers him most when he tries to make "explosive moves." Perhaps the most noteworthy part of the video is where Roy admits that the injury has been more than a little depressing.
Clearly this doesn't bode well for tonight or the Blazers' home winning streak vs the Lakers. Fans at the game better buy a couple extra drinks to stoke that extra fire.
The Official Team Press Release:
BRANDON ROY SIDELINED THROUGH ALL-STAR BREAK
Portland guard to undergo PRP therapy on Monday
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss Portland's next three games and the NBA All-Star Game with a right hamstring strain, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.
"Unfortunately, I'm not where I was hoping I would be physically at this point,
said Roy. "It's a setback and I'm obviously disappointed, but my entire focus is getting back on the court, contributing and helping our team down the stretch."
Roy initially injured his hamstring January 13 vs. Milwaukee and re-aggravated it January 20 at Philadelphia. He has missed 11 of Portland's last 12 games heading into tonight's game with the L.A. Lakers.
"This was not a decision that any of us wanted to make, but in the end we had to do what was best for Brandon,” said Pritchard. "We're hopeful that this extended rest will put Brandon in the best possible position to return to the line-up shortly after the All-Star break."
Roy will undergo Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy with Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles on Monday.
Roy leads the team in scoring (23.1), free throws made (213) and minutes (38.3), and ranks second on the squad in assists (5.0) and steals (1.03). In just 40 games this season, he has led the team in scoring 25 times and assists on 15 occasions (including ties).
Kobe inquires to the unfortunate absence of the Funky Bunch
Ten straight. The modern day Los Angeles Lakers are not the sort of team that loses consecutive games in the double-digits to anyone. The Lakers have championship banners, a bonafide superstar, a coach with as many rings as fingers, and better-looking Baldwins sitting courtside at their games. The Lakes do not drop ten in a row. Period.
Yet here we are.
Tonight the Blazers go for win number ten in a row at home against the Lakers. Sure, there are other plots at play—the possible return of Brandon Roy, the Lakers home loss on Friday to Denver, tonight marking the 40th anniversary of the Blazers franchise—but it's hard to escape the shadow of number ten. Visits from Los Angeles are like dress rehearsals for the playoffs at the Rose Garden, where the city of Portland gets rowdy and takes out their collective frustration against a team that has broken the hearts of an entire generation of Blazer fans. To the Lakers, it's just another game, but to those with loyalty to the Blazers' pinwheel, a visit from the Lakers is like Christmas morning: you don't know exactly what is going to happen, but it's going to be a blast.
Roy is more or less a tipoff decision, but considering the magnitude of this game, he will likely be out there. Since this is his second attempt to comeback from the same hamstring injury, his minutes might be severely limited. The Lakers looked fine last night against the Nuggets, that is, until Chauncy Billups decided to never miss another shot. Los Angeles gave up 15 three-pointers last night. Takes notes, Martell Webster.
If you think that Kobe Bryant's injured ankle will slow him down, you will be disappointed. Bryant logged 39 minutes last night and had 33 points with nine boards. Instead, Lakers fans should be more concerned with Bryant's surrounding cast, including Andrew Bynum, who is protesting his All-Star snub by averaging a pedestrian 11 points and eight rebounds a night over his last five games.
Then again, who cares about ten straight wins against the Lakers at the Rose Garden? I just want to see Nicolas Batum dunk over Pau Gasol. Remember, Batum is keeping track of these things, and Frenchy88 is looking for dunk number trois against Gasol. I know it's greedy to expect both a victory and a Gasolposteraztion, but the way things are going when Los Angeles is in town, you never know.
All Tony Parker could do was sit and watch. Marooned at the scorer's table while he waited for a whistle to get him back in the game, he saw the clock tick inside 4 minutes ... and 3 ... and 2 ... while a six-point San Antonio lead turned into a dispiriting 96-93 defeat to Portland.
• Seth Johnson from BustaBucket talks about the uncertainty in the offense without Roy and playing with heart.
Then in the fourth quarter, as we’ve seen over and over again regardless of which Blazers are on the floor, this team refused to quit. I used to accept the “too young to know better” line, but there is more to Portland’s drive than naiveté. Heart is ingrained into this team’s culture. They kept working and while the shots were there for San Antonio all night, eventually the Spurs started missing.
• Mike Barrett says if this season was submitted as a Hollywood script, you'd have had it thrown back in your face. Well, that’s probably because teams in Hollywood scripts typically win the championship and whatnot… regardless, this team has shown a lot of heart and grit and other euphemisms for just “not giving up.” No matter how this season ends, playoffs or no, this Blazers team has shown us all something. Racked with injuries, they has given the city of Portland something to be proud of.
Webster has had big moments in his Blazers career -- a game-winning three against New Orleans in his rookie year and a 24-point quarter against Utah two seasons ago. But Thursday's shot, in the heat of a developing playoff race, in front of a national TNT audience, with an arena ready to burst, had to be his biggest moment.
The Spurs had their chances. They had the game by the throat but were unable to finish the chokehold. That’s the difference between this team and former Spurs teams.
Andrew R Tonry | 
